The present invention relates generally to a novel glass composition and, more particularly, to pellets produced from glass fibers by mixing hydrated glass fibers to form pellets, and drying.
Chopped glass strands are commonly used as reinforcement material for thermoplastic articles. Glass strands of particular lengths and diameters are added to thermoplastic resins to form such composite articles as automotive distributer caps, power hand tool housings, fan shroud, and chain saw housings.
Since glass strands are used as a reinforcement material, larger, denser glass materials are constantly being sought. One variation involves compacting the glass strands. Compacted chopped glass strands have previously been used as thermoplastic reinforcement material. The prior art discloses a method for producing compacted glass strands by wetting chopped glass strands and vibrating them. However, this method is slow and produces a fiber rod which is consolidated from one chopped strand. Therefore, the diameter of the glass fiber rod of the prior art is not significantly greater than an individual chopped strand.
Therefore, a need still exists for an improved thermoplastic reinforcing glass product which is significantly denser and larger in diameter than an individual chopped strand and which can be produced efficiently.